


The Classic & the Contemporary

by Syntaxeme



Category: Steven Universe - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - Human, Ballet, Ballroom Dancing, F/F, Flirting, Human, Multi, Obsessive Behavior, Rating May Change, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-08-10 20:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7859395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syntaxeme/pseuds/Syntaxeme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pearl is a dance instructor raising her godson, Steven. She's never been much good at actively seeking new relationships (romantic or otherwise), and her neurotic tendencies and reserved nature don't make it easy to stumble into them by accident. It takes some convincing, but she makes the decision to step outside her comfort zone and into a ballroom dance class, which means working with a partner for the first time in years. This is where she meets Garnet, who easily waltzes past her insecurities and nerves in an effort to bring them closer. While some part of Pearl is cautiously optimistic and excited by the idea, she's not without her share of issues to work through before she can let herself be comfortable in a new relationship. </p><p>[Other characters cast in supporting roles; their appearances will vary. The rating is very likely to change in the future. I'm a little rusty, so feedback is always appreciated.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chaine

She had asked them to stop if they got dizzy, but of course none of them listened. They would instead stumble to the side, disoriented, until they found their balance again. Some laughed from their spinning heads while others grimaced in frustration. As always, Pearl offered encouragement where it was needed and praise where it was earned.

“Beautiful, Lapis–remember to keep spotting,” she called. “We’re practicing chaines to the _left_ , Kiki. Steven, keep an eye on your arm positions.” Steven giggled and gave her a thumbs-up even as he spun again. She strolled along the wall of mirrors at the front of the room, shifting her gaze from hands to feet to intensely-focused faces. They had been practicing this move in review for an hour, and she was pleased with the improvement she saw. A good note to end on.

“All right, all right,” she laughed as another of her students stumbled almost off her feet. “I think I’ve mixed you up enough for one day. Thank you all for working so hard; you’re doing wonderfully. I’ll see you on Tuesday.”

As several sat down to change their shoes, Pearl went to kneel at Steven’s side. “So, what do you think?” he asked, freeing his feet from his jazz shoes and wriggling his toes. “Am I getting better?”

“You certainly are,” she said with a smile. “Your practice at home really is paying off.”

“I guess you could say it’s… _turning_ out better than expected?” he said, stifling his laughter as Pearl rolled her eyes.

“Very funny,” she said. “Let’s see that cleverness put to use on your homework, hm?”

“Booo,” he groaned. Still, he did as she said, sitting in a corner of the room with his legs crossed and head down until she was ready to leave. Pearl stood and glanced toward the door just in time to see Lapis’s two…roommates arrive to pick her up. Blood flushed her cheekbones as the taller of the two, Jasper, grabbed Lapis for a firm kiss. Part of her was embarrassed to be witnessing such a thing in public, while another part was madly jealous. Romance was a bit difficult to come by in her current lifestyle–not that she was discontented! It was a touchy subject, anyway.

Trying to focus her thoughts and relieved to have the room to herself, she changed the music on the stereo to practice problem areas in her most recent personal project. She had been working on it for over a month and still couldn’t seem to pin down the choreography. Nothing felt just right, but for once, she couldn’t tell what was wrong. Frustrating to say the least. No matter how many different combinations she tried, nothing stuck. When she was interrupted, she was almost grateful.

“Knock knock,” called one of her fellow instructors from the door.

“Sardonyx.” Pearl paused her music, slightly out of breath, and smiled weakly. “Did you need something?”

“Actually, I happen to have a surprise for you,” Sardonyx said, pulling a sheet of paper from behind her back and offering it to Pearl.

“A ballroom course…?” Pearl asked as she took the flyer to investigate.

“Yes! Finally. You’ll come, won’t you? Tell me you’ll come.”

“Come…as a student?”

“Naturally. I couldn’t expect you to teach when you only dance solos,” Sardonyx pointed out, and Pearl blanched. It wasn’t that she disliked partner dances; she was just very picky about her partners. And…maybe she had a very slight mental block about trying.

“It’s been quite a while,” she pointed out, thumbs absently rubbing over the paper in her hands. “I’m not sure I still have it in me to follow someone else’s lead.”

“All the more reason to come. You are a professional, aren’t you? That means you should be versed in every area of your field.” Sardonyx did have some things in common with Pearl (the careful word-choice and usage of information included), but she was also much more confident and insistent on getting her way.

Unfortunately, Pearl was forced to admit she had a point. “I’ll…think about it,” she said. “That’s all I can promise for now.”

“That’s something, at least,” Sardonyx conceded. “Just hang onto the flyer. You have a week or so to decide.” She sashayed out with a wink, leaving the room much duller for her absence. Pearl looked at the paper in her hands, already 93% positive that her mind wouldn’t change. Resolving to put it out of her mind at the moment, she folded the paper neatly into quarters and placed it in her bag.

“Steven, are you ready? We can go a little early today.”

“Early?” he asked in shock; Pearl never _willingly_ left early. “Why? Are you okay?”

“Of course I am. Come on,” she said, handing him his backpack. “Let’s go.”


	2. Valse

Wednesday was laundry day, as she didn’t have any classes for the morning; she wasn’t one to be inefficient with her time. So in went all of her tights and leotards (delicate cycle, air dried), Steven’s pants and the few casual darks she owned (to be dried on medium heat and promptly folded), her skirts and dresses along with Steven’s (using _cold_ water, as they had unfortunately learned through trial and error). It was going well, and Pearl smiled at the satisfaction of her productivity.

When she remembered the cardigan she had stowed in her bag at her last solo rehearsal, she hurried to retrieve it before the wash was too far along. As she did, a neatly-folded slip of paper came out along with it and slid to the floor, eliciting a frustrated groan from Pearl. First the laundry, then the inadvertent litter. Once the clothes were taken care of, she came back to retrieve the paper and unfolded it to find…oh. Right. She had all but forgotten about Sardonyx’s ballroom class.

 _If you’ve ever wanted to learn the art of ballroom dance from an expert, now is your chance!_ (Well, it was certainly written in Sardonyx’s voice.) _You’ll learn the basics of the waltz, the samba, the foxtrot, and much more!_ (She couldn’t help but be irritated by the incorrect use of “much” rather than “many.”) _Bring a partner or come solo to find one. After all, it does take two to tango~_

Pearl visibly cringed at the last line. She expected better than such a cliché from Sardonyx. Although, yes, technically, it was true. All the more reason to avoid going; she had no partner to speak of and hadn’t for years. While Steven had always been an excellent student, somehow she felt he wasn’t quite ready for this. If his mother had been there, maybe…but she wasn’t, so it was a moot point. She was sure that her not attending would upset Sardonyx a bit, but it _was_ her choice. And she just wasn’t comfortable. She tossed the flyer into the recycling bin and tried to move on with her day without feeling guilty or anxious about the decision.

**…**

“Peeearl! Did you take stuff out of my room?” When Steven rounded the corner from the hall to the kitchen, he was wearing a pout she recognized well.

“I just went in to tidy up a little,” she answered. Her compulsion to keep things clean had never bothered him much, but this time, it seemed she had done something wrong. “Why? Is something of yours missing?”

“My Cookie Cat cake platter,” he said. “The one from my birthday. I was keeping it for a project at school.”

Pearl blanched and smiled at him weakly. “Oh. Ahem, oops.”

“Did you throw it away?” He hurried over to the recycling, which they would put out for pickup in the morning, and started to poke through it.

“What—don’t put your hands—!”

“Ha! Found it,” he said proudly, taking out the plastic tray (which Pearl had washed before disposing of it) and inspecting it for damage.

“Mph, fine, just please let me clean it before you—”

Again, she was cut off by her godson’s voice. “What’s this?” He set the tray down on the counter, prompting a minor short-circuit in Pearl’s motor functions before she grabbed it and took it to the sink to wash it again.

“Steven, _please_ wash your hands,” she called behind her.

“Pearl, what is this? Are you taking a new class?” he asked, bringing the flyer over to her with delight in his voice and stars in his eyes. “This is so cool!”

“No, I’m not—please put that back and wash your hands,” she said. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep herself calm and her thoughts organized. “I’m not taking that class.”

“Aww, why not? It sounds like fun,” he said, flipping the flyer over to read it again. “And Sardonyx is teaching it! You guys are friends, so you’ll already know at least one person.”

“It’s not the strangers I have a problem with,” Pearl said, setting the dish aside and plucking the paper from Steven’s hands to put it back in the recycling.

“Then what is it?”

“Please wash your hands.”

“Come on, Pearl. You like dancing. Why don’t you want to do it?”

“I’m not. In the habit of partner dancing anymore,” she told him haltingly. Turning him toward the sink by his shoulders, she repeated, “Please.”

“But you could get back in the habit,” Steven said, giving in to her request if for no other reason than to ease her mind. “I bet you would have a lot of fun.”

“And what makes you think that?” she asked.

“It just makes sense. Anything you do by yourself gets more fun when you do it with other people,” he explained, as if this were an objective fact. “You could just give it a _try_. It said Monday and Wednesday night, so you’ll already be at the studio.”

“What about you? You’ll be fine waiting another hour and a half for me to finish?”

“I’ll find something to do,” he said with a nod as he was drying his hands. “Ooh! Or Dad could come pick me up and I could hang out with him.” That prospect made Pearl’s skin crawl, but she tried not to show it. Poor life choices aside, Steven still thought the world of his father, and it wasn’t her place to teach him otherwise.

“Well, I don’t know about all that,” she muttered. “For the moment, I’d rather you stay with me.”

“So you’re gonna do it?” he asked, lighting up once again. How could she resist that face?

“I’m going to _try_ it,” she conceded. “At least for the first week.”

“And then?”

“And then, if I like it, I’ll continue,” she said. “If I don’t, then I won’t.”

“Hmm. Yeah. Okay. I guess that’s fair,” he said. “But I bet you’ll like it. And I’ll be there to cheer you on!”

Of course she appreciated his support; there was no one else more valuable. Still, her biggest concern remained her lack of a reliable partner and the doubt that she would find one waiting to meet her.

**…**

“You can go wherever you like, as long as you’re not intruding on other classes. And please don’t come in or leave the room while Sardonyx is giving instruction.” She kissed the top of Steven’s head and added on her way out of the lounge, “There are water bottles and carrot sticks in the fridge if you get hungry!” It was only a few minutes after she’d left that Sardonyx came by to slip him a couple of dollars and _casually_ remind him where the vending machines were.

As soon as Pearl entered room 240, she realized that she was overdressed. Or under, as the case may have been. Everyone else in the room—there were perhaps ten others—was dressed casually, some even in jeans and T-shirts, while she was still dressed for rehearsal in her leotard and short dance skirt. At least, mercifully, she had remembered to remove her pointe shoes. Still, she could feel eyes on her as she crossed to the far corner of the room, isolated, avoiding looking at anyone else.

“Hello, everyone!” Sardonyx called as she entered the room, confident as ever. Along with her was one of the male TAs Pearl recognized from their college-level courses, likely a prop to complete her “two to tango” equation. “I’m so happy to meet all of you. My name is Sardonyx, but you’re welcome to call me miss or _madam_. Now, I’d like to go around the room and get everyone’s name and prior experience with dancing. We’ll start over here.”

As the others spoke, Pearl stared hard at the ground, fingers clenching around the fabric of her skirt. Their voices had started to blend together into a raucous buzz in her ears, and whenever they all shared a laugh or talked over one another, she cringed. She didn’t belong there, didn’t belong, shouldn’t have come. Was there still time to leave? Her eyes darted toward the door just as she realized the room had gone quiet and she was being addressed.

“Miiiss?” Sardonyx said encouragingly. “Could you give us your name?” Everyone was watching her again. Silence for a moment. She took in a breath and smiled.

“My name is Pearl,” she said with a small curtsey, which got a laugh from the others. “I’ve been dancing for…I think 27 years now. You could say I’ve had a little practice.”

“Then I’ll be expecting good things from you,” Sardonyx said. Once everyone’s attention was back on her, Pearl let out a quiet, shaking sigh and tried to calm her heart. She could pretend well enough when called upon, but it took _so much_ effort. She might not even have the energy to dance. “We’ll be starting with some very basic steps today, so I’d like everyone to partner up, please, and we’ll get started.” Many of the others were there as couples, and the few who weren’t paired up based on vicinity. With Pearl off to one side…of course she was the one left alone. Another embarrassment. “Well that’s okay, Pearl; you can just borrow Jamie once we’ve finished demonstrating.”

“Actually,” Pearl said, going to retrieve her bag from where it sat against the wall. “I’ll just go. I wouldn’t want to make it harder for you to—”

“No, no, no, please don’t. Let’s take a five-minute break, everyone, and then we’ll get started.” Sardonyx hurried over to try to talk her into staying, speaking quietly so the rest of her students wouldn’t hear. “You came because you wanted to try; if you leave, you’re giving up! I know you, and I know you _don’t_ give up.”

“There’s no place for me here. You said it yourself: I’m a solo dancer,” Pearl hissed back. “A single soloist doesn’t belong in a room full of couples.”

“You aren’t just a soloist. You are a dancer, and I _know_ this can be good for you. Please just—” She paused as the door opened across the room and someone new entered, a black woman with thick hair and thicker hips. When the new arrival saw everyone look in her direction, she stopped where she stood.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said. “Had trouble finding the place. Have I missed much?”

“Er, no. We were just about to start working,” Sardonyx said.

“Just in time, then.” The stranger took a quick look at the rest of the room and, seeing all the other couples, approached Sardonyx and Pearl. “I’ll need a partner, I guess. Are you alone, too?” She was wearing sunshades, but Pearl could still tell she was being spoken to.

“Oh. Yes, I suppose so,” she mumbled. Something about this woman was intimidating, but in only the best of ways. “But are you sure you want to? You’re a woman.”

“Sharp,” the stranger laughed. “’S all right. I prefer to lead anyway. If it’s okay with you.” Sardonyx, sensing an opportunity, turned an exaggerated pout on Pearl.

“You wouldn’t leave our newest student to dance alone, would you~?” she cooed.

“…okay,” Pearl agreed hesitantly.

“Wonderful! Then without further ado, let’s get going!”

As Sardonyx hurried back to the front of the room, Pearl’s new partner turned back to her. “Sorry if this is odd for you,” she said. “You don’t have to stay.”

“It’s fine,” Pearl said, shaking her head. “I’m glad to have found a partner. I’m Pearl, by the way.”

“You look like a ‘Pearl,’” her partner said with a smile. “I’m Garnet.”

“Okay, let’s talk about form first; if you don’t have this right, it’ll be hard moving on,” Sardonyx called. She and Jamie demonstrated the proper form as she explained. “Gentlemen—er, that is, those of you who are leading, place your right hand on your follower’s back. You’ll want to keep your arm roughly parallel to the ground, so your hand may be near her shoulder blades.” Garnet did as instructed—surprisingly well, in fact. Pearl didn’t need to hear the next step to know her left arm should rest in line with Garnet’s right, leading to her shoulder. Her arm was solid through her shirt, as was her shoulder. Pearl suppressed a shiver.

Their free hands found each other, and they found themselves in a nearly identical arrangement to Sardonyx and Jamie’s example. _Nearly_ identical, because their chests were pressed tighter together than they might have been in a more conventional pair. Pearl was very quickly remembering exactly how long it had been since she’d done this, and not just the dancing. How long had it been since she’d been this close to anyone who wasn’t family? That it happened to be this woman in particular seemed to be a cruel trick of the cosmos. 

“You all right?” Garnet asked, and Pearl stiffened in her arms.

“Yes,” she said, perhaps a bit shrilly.

“It looks like you two have it down already,” Sardonyx said, beaming at them from a few feet away. “Keep it up! Now, let’s get into the most common style of ballroom: the waltz. You should recognize a waltz when you hear it because it’s in 3/4 time, not 4/4. What that means is…”

She continued to teach, and Pearl continued to vaguely listen, involuntarily focused more on her dance partner. For someone attending an amateur class, she seemed to know her way around a dance floor, and well. She didn’t miss a beat, didn’t stumble, and her leading came across as very trustworthy.

“Have you done this before?” Pearl asked as they were practicing a whisk and promenade combination.

“Once or twice,” Garnet admitted. “I’ve been out of practice, but it seems like it’s coming back to me. Lucky I have a partner who knows what she’s doing.” Pearl couldn’t help but smile and, after having avoided her eyes for the past twenty minutes, finally looked up at Garnet’s face. Her lips were full and pleasantly curved, her jaw soft but defined. Perhaps due to her dark skin, Pearl only just noticed the small red dot between and just above her eyebrows. Curious, she may have let her eyes linger a bit longer than necessary. “Hey. My eyes are down here,” Garnet said, peering at her over her sunglasses. Her eyes were brown but much lighter than expected.

“I-I’m sorry,” Pearl stammered, quickly looking away again. “That was rude.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Their conversation paused as Sardonyx went on to demonstrate their next move, a promenade chasse, to be added onto their combination. Once they had gone on to practice it, Pearl tried again.

“Do you mind if I ask why the sunglasses? At night _and_ inside?”

Garnet shrugged. “Sensitive eyes, I guess. I’m not much for bright lights.”

“Does that mean you don’t do stage performances?” Pearl asked, and her partner snorted.

“Never have, no. This is more of a hobby for me.”

“You’re better than most hobbyists I know,” Pearl said plainly. “What are you doing in a class for beginners?”

“Trying to get my edge back. I thought about just coming for a week to refresh my memory,” Garnet confessed. “I might end up sticking with it, though.” 

“Oh? Dependent on what?” She tried not to show that Garnet’s leaving would bother her, but…well, it was refreshing to have met someone who took this seriously and had a fair amount of skill. Getting back into partner dancing was much easier when her partner was competent.

“Well.” Despite having not reached this point in their instruction, Garnet ended their chasse by sweeping Pearl into a dip. “Will you be here?” Uncharacteristically—unfortunately—Pearl was practically speechless. She knew, technically, what was being asked. She’d _thought_ she knew the answer. What she didn’t know was why it would concern Garnet. Was she…was she being flirted with? That thought was so distant and foreign that she truly had no idea how to respond.

“I-I’m…well, I’m not sure,” she managed as Garnet helped her back up to stand. Again she had lost the ability to meet her eyes. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“You’ll have to let me know, then. Can’t very well dance without a partner.”

“Okay, you’re all doing great, but I know you’ve been working hard,” Sardonyx called. “Let’s take another little break, say five minutes, and then we’ll review our full repertoire so far.” Grateful for the moment to escape, Pearl rushed to her bag to retrieve her water bottle in the hopes it would calm her down.

“’Scuse me, excuse me.” Steven’s voice drew her attention, and she saw him weaving through the other students who were trying to leave the room. It was good to see him after not knowing what he was up to for forty-five minutes, but the adults around him were careless in passing him, and he tripped.

“Steven, be—”

“Careful, little man.” Garnet had been standing nearby and seen him trip, so she stepped forward to keep him from falling. In fact, she simply picked him up and placed him to the side out of harm’s way. She knelt in front of him and asked, “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m okay. Thanks. I was almost a pancake,” he laughed.         

“You would’ve been a fashionable one, at least,” Garnet said with a smile. “But syrup and lace don’t go together well. Next time, try to avoid the stampede.”

“Haha, got it. Hey.” Oh, no. “You were dancing with Pearl, right?” _Oh, no_. He must have been watching from the window. Garnet glanced in her direction before answering him.

“That’s right. You know her?”

“Yeah. She’s my godmother,” he explained. “It looks like you guys were doing great!”

“Nah, that was mostly her,” she said. “I could barely keep up.”

“That’s okay. She’s been doing this forever. I mean, _so_ long.”

“Steven,” Pearl called when she could stand no more. “Would you come here, please?”

“Okay!” He left Garnet’s side to come sit by hers instead. “Are you having fun? Is your partner nice?”

“Somewhat and yes,” she said, rubbing sanitizer into her hands and offering some to him, too. “What have you been doing?”

“I finished my homework. Then I tried drawing for a while. Then I came up here to watch you. You’ll be—” He yawned in the middle of his sentence. “—done soon, right?”

“Yes. About ten more minutes. Then we’ll go.”

“Mmkay.” Steven opened up a game on his phone and smiled absently as Pearl pushed his hair back out of his face.

“Is everyone back now? Let’s spend our last few minutes working on what we know so far, all together,” Sardonyx said, taking Jamie’s hand to demonstrate.

“His godmother, huh?” Garnet asked as they came back together.

“And legal guardian, yes.”

“What’s his name?”

“Steven. Universe,” Pearl added, sliding her hand up Garnet’s arm again.

“Does that make you Pearl Universe?”

She actually laughed aloud at that. “Oh, no, definitely not. It’s his father’s name.”

“Oh. Then, are you two…?” Garnet began tentatively. Pearl tried and failed to disguise the grimace on her face at the very idea, but it was an answer nevertheless. “Let me know if I’m being too nosy. Talking makes it easier to focus.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind talking. If you’re leading, I don’t worry I’m going to get lost.” She realized too late that this had come out more familiar than she’d meant it to. “I just mean it’s not often I’m in a dance where I have to rely on someone else to be sure I do well.”

“I can’t believe you’d ever have to rely on someone else for that.”

“Well, it’s difficult to shine if your partner is dragging you down,” Pearl muttered, and Garnet snickered.

“At least you’re honest,” she said, turning Pearl’s face pink from embarrassment.

 “I didn’t mean—I wasn’t saying that you—”

“Relax, bird. I know what you meant.” Her arm may have slid a little tighter around Pearl’s back…or maybe she imagined that. All too soon, Sardonyx announced that their first class was over and thanked them all for coming. Unsure of how to end this interaction, Pearl started toward Steven, but Garnet stopped her. “Wait. Uh, just curious: do you think you’ll be here on Wednesday?”

“I teach classes from 4:30 to 7:30, so yes, at least that long,” Pearl said, hands folded behind her, feet subconsciously in third position.

“Oh. Right, but what about here?” Garnet asked, indicating the room where they stood.

“…I might. I haven’t decided yet. Will you be?”

“Absolutely. In case you’re worried about having a partner. I’ll be here,” she said firmly.

“That is encouraging.” Much to her own surprise, Pearl managed a playful smile. After she had retrieved her sleepy godson and their bags, they passed Garnet on the way to the door. Pearl stole one last glance at those smirking lips before they left.

“So…you’re gonna go back on Wednesday, too, right?” Steven asked absently from his seat in the back of the car. “You said you would go for the first week.”

“I did, and I will. But I’m not so sure you should.” As much as she hated to admit it, it might be best to have Greg watch him when he got out of school.

“Aww, but I wanna—” Another yawn. “—watch you dance.”

“You’re not watching anything but the back of your eyelids, sir,” she teased.

“I’m awake,” he muttered, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Once they got home and he was in bed, he told her, “The lady you danced with was nice.”

“Garnet,” Pearl corrected him. It was the first time she’d said it aloud.

“Huh?”

“Her name was Garnet,” she repeated. “Good night, ‘little man.’ I love you.”

He laughed at the nickname. “I love you too. Good night.”


	3. L'aire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, everyone. I got stuck and needed a break, but I'm trying to get back into it!

            It went without saying that Amethyst wasn’t at the gym to work out. The way she saw it, these few hours were time to spend lounging, taking selfies, and talking to her girls.

            “I dunno, G. You met this chick once,” she was saying as she leaned back against the wall and swiped through Tinder. She was supposed to be spotting for Garnet, and she would if necessary, but she had the feeling she wouldn’t need to. “Plus she has a _kid_. That doesn’t weird you out?”

            “Kids are just people,” Garnet said at the top of her lift.

            “Yeah, but that’s like…commitment,” she muttered. “What if he likes you but it doesn’t work out with her? Then you leave and ruin the kid’s life. He already has a weird parent situation.”

            “You’re talking like this is a possibility,” Jasper interjected from her seat nearby where she was working up to a hundred sit-ups. “It’s not gonna happen.”

            “What’s not?” Amethyst asked on Garnet’s behalf, as she was out of breath at the time.

            “Anything with Pearl,” Jasper explained. “Lapis takes a class with her. Says she’s a total prude.”

            “You two…didn’t dance with her,” Garnet pointed out, racking her weights to catch her breath. “Maybe she’s rusty, but…not a prude.”

            “Eighty-four, eighty-five,” Jasper said under her breath. “Okay, then she’s just boring. Is that better? All she does is work. And watch that kid.”

            “She said she’ll be there tomorrow,” Garnet said. She had always been good at keeping her composure even when discouraged; that confidence often made up for whatever ability she might lack. “Maybe I’ll learn a little more then.”

            “‘Maybe,’” Amethyst said with a roll of her eyes. “Like you’re not gonna make this work however you can.”

            “Do what you gotta do.” Jasper sat up for the last time and pulled her thick ponytail aside so the air could hit her neck. “I don’t think she’s worth the work—but you don’t get what you want by sitting there waiting for it to happen.” Amethyst watched her with narrowed eyes, skeptical.

            “Is that just like, a theory, or is it personal experience?” she asked, and Jasper’s back stiffened.

            “It’s my whole life,” she said. “You can’t expect anything to be handed to you.” She paused and glanced back at Amethyst over her shoulder. “Tch. I forgot who I’m talking to.”

            “Uh, what is that even supposed to mean?” Amethyst asked, finally pushing away from the wall.

            “It means you don’t have any experience with what I’m talking about. You’ll understand when you grow up.”

            “Oh. _My_ god,” Amethyst managed, as if she were choking on Jasper’s condescension. “Could you be any more into yourself? I don’t know how Lapis _stands_ you—” Jasper was on her feet immediately, and Garnet got up to step between the two of them.

            “Shut your mouth, runt,” Jasper growled. “You think you can stand there and talk shit when you don’t know anything about—”

            “Jasper,” Garnet said calmly. “Breathe.” Jasper sneered as if ready to fight her instead, but she didn’t make a move. Despite her few extra inches in height, all three of them knew who would win if push came to shove.

            “I should’ve expected you to defend her,” she hissed.

            “You’re dehydrated. Your blood sugar’s low. Go get something to eat and think for a minute.” There was a tense moment of silence between them. Jasper’s eyes went from Garnet’s to Amethyst behind her, then she scoffed and walked away to cool her head.

            “What is her problem?” Amethyst muttered.

            “You shouldn’t’ve brought up Lapis.”

            “Whatever. Tell her she shouldn’t act like she knows me.”

            “She _does_ know you,” Garnet said.

            “That doesn’t mean she knows my life. ‘Oh boo-hoo, I’ve got it so much harder than everyone else; everybody treats me like I’m an asshole just because I constantly 24/7 _act_ like an asshole—”

            “All right,” Garnet said, flipping Amethyst’s hair over her face. “Do you need a time-out, too?”

            “Pffff. Okay, maybe you’ll be good with that kid after all,” Amethyst laughed, and Garnet smiled discreetly.

**…**

            Pearl clapped her hands gently for her class’s attention. “That was much better than Monday’s rehearsal,” she said. “It’s 7:27. I think I can stand to let you go a few minutes early.”

            “Early?” They repeated. Why was everyone shocked to hear her use that word?

            “Yes, and you should go before I change my mind,” she said. Her Jazz I students all hurried from the room, and Steven came to meet her. “What did you see?”

            “Buck’s jazz walks are getting better,” he said. “But I’m a little worried about Sadie.”

            “She _is_ still a bit reserved.”

            “No, I mean she seemed upset. Like she’s sad about something. Maybe you should ask her about it.”

            “I’m…not sure that would be appropriate,” Pearl said uneasily. While she was somewhat informal and tried to be approachable, she still harbored a certain amount of discomfort with involving herself in her students’ personal lives. Particularly students like Sadie, whom she would likely never see again once they had finished earning their Fine Arts credit.

            “I bet she’d like someone to talk to about it,” he said, pulling his backpack onto his shoulder. “When is Dad supposed to get here?”

            “Soon, I’m sure. I told him 7:30.” Not that it surprised her that he was late. “Let’s wait for him downstairs.” On their way, Steven described—quickly but in great detail—a book his English class had been reading. A fanciful young adult work involving shapeshifting, teleportation, sentient plants, and other such nonsense. Pearl laughed and shook her head at the absurdity of the concept, but Steven was enthralled.

            “My favorite part is when the bad guys get to become good guys,” he explained. “It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, it makes me happy.”

            “Oh? Why is that?”

            “Because…I don’t know. It’s better. It’s better for everybody,” he said. “They start making friends with the good guys, and usually they’re not really that bad; they were just working for the wrong side. I don’t know. Is it silly?”

            “Of course not!” She swooped down to hug him tightly and nuzzle her head into his. His uncanny ability to see the good in everything, in everyone, had always been one of his greatest strengths. Just like his mother. She only hoped nothing would ever ruin it for him.

            Before she could explain that to him, they were interrupted by a pair of headlights shining directly into the lobby. They both recognized the figure who exited the vehicle, and Steven lit up.

            “Dad!” He left Pearl’s arms and ran to meet his father at the door.

            “Hey, Stu-ball!” Greg said, kneeling to hug him. “You ready to go?”

            “Yeah, I think so.”

            “Hello, Greg,” Pearl said with a polite smile.

            “Hi, Pearl,” he answered, tentatively friendly. “How’s it going?”

            “Well, thank you,” she said. “I’m not sure that’s a parking space.”

            Greg blanched. “Uh, right. Sorry. Guess I was a little too excited to see Steven.” He reached down to ruffle the boy’s dark hair, and Steven giggled as he tried to escape.

            “I appreciate you looking after him,” she said, coming closer but not too close. She shuddered to think of how dirty that van of his must have been. “He should probably have dinner soon. And I’d like him to be home and getting ready for bed by 9:30. I should be home around that time.” Greg took only slight offense to being treated like he wouldn’t know how to take care of his own son. After all, he’d never had full responsibility. Like Pearl did.

            “Leave it to me,” he agreed with a smile. “We’ll see you when you get home.” She made a mental note to disinfect everything while Steven was at school the next day.

            “Okay. Be good, Steven.”

            “I will! Bye!”

            She stood still and watched them leave, trying to remain confident in her choice. It would be fine. It was only two hours. It was fine. Determined to be more at-ease this time, she tried to put her innate worries to rest and hurried to the dressing room to change. She couldn’t see herself dancing in denim, but she did go more casual in tights and a loose top. When she arrived at room 240, she was earlier than before; Sardonyx was the only one there.

            “Well, well, look who’s back for another class,” she teased. “And early to arrive. I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me.”

            “Better early than late,” Pearl said.

            “Mm, I don’t know about that. Our late arrival on Monday seemed, as she said, just in time.” The sly look Sardonyx gave her forced her to look away. “What’s her name?”

            “Garnet.”

            “Is she the reason you came back?” When Pearl didn’t answer, her friend laughed. “Ohoho~! I see. Isn’t that exciting?”

            “Would you leave it alone, please?” Pearl grumbled, embarrassed enough already. Not that she really expected anything to come of it; to say she was “rusty” at the entire concept of “dating” would’ve been a massive understatement. In fact, she wasn’t sure she was cut out for romance anymore, all things considered. But it was nice, retracing these footsteps she’d neglected for years, and it was nice doing so in such pleasant company. There was nothing wrong with that. Right?

            “Oh, I will. For now. I hope you’ll enjoy yourself again,” Sardonyx sang in delight.

            People slowly filtered into the room, including Garnet, who smiled at her before setting her things aside. She was wearing slacks this time, as opposed to the low-cut jeans she’d sported in their first lesson. In her dress shirt and tie, she was, if possible, more dapper still. _Unfair._

            “On time today,” she said as she approached, carefully rolling her sleeves up.

            “You are. And in formal wear, no less,” Pearl observed.

            “Something like that,” Garnet said. “I left work a bit late.”

            “Hmm, ballroom dancer by night,” Pearl said. “And by day…? If you don’t mind my asking.”

            “No no, ask away. I’m, uh…an interpersonal psychologist,” she confessed. “Gave a guest lecture at BCU at seven and didn’t have time to change.” A psychologist? Meaning a therapist or an academic researcher? That was interesting. Unexpected.

            “Are you a doctor, then? Have I been too informal all this time?” Pearl teased.

            “You’re not one of my clients. Besides, I’d rather hear you say my name.” The smirk with which she said this betrayed the statement’s mischievous undertone. Before Pearl could form a proper response, Sardonyx was calling for their attention.

            “It looks like all of our pairs are here now. Now be honest: how many of you need a review of what we learned on Monday?” A few of the others sheepishly raised their hands, and Pearl frowned. It really was a class for bare beginners. “That’s fine; go ahead and get in your positions, and we’ll see what you remember. Ready? And 1-2-3, 4-5-6!”

            After their first nearly-flawless rendition, Sardonyx was still wandering around the room to help those less experienced. So Garnet and Pearl repeated the combination. And repeated it again, this time adding an extra turn. Another chasse. A wing and a reverse turn. Pearl was a bit unsure about improvising like this, but her muscle memory from instruction years ago kicked in, and Garnet made it easy to follow along. There was a moment when she was swept off her feet, and she let a brief squeak of surprised laughter, squirming to get down.

            “There are no lifts in a waltz,” she chastised playfully as they fell back in line to continue their lesson.

            “I like to mix it up,” Garnet admitted with a shrug.

            “You and Sardonyx should get along well, then. She adores blending her genres, no matter how strange the match.”

            “What about you?”

            “Well. I believe she and I were trained differently,” Pearl said, treating the subject as politely as possible. “We have different styles. Personally, I prefer to keep my work traditional. And separate.”

            “Hmm. I’ll try to remember that. You might need to keep me in line, though,” Garnet warned. “Better not take your eyes off me for too long.”

            Pearl smiled but turned away to hide the warmth in her cheeks. “I’m sure you don’t have to worry about that.”

            “I know this is the part you’ve all been waiting for,” Sardonyx was saying from the front of the room.  “We’re going to start working on dips! My plan is to focus on that until around 8:30, then after a short break, we’ll come back and start incorporating them into our combinations. Now, I know a dip looks like a simple thing, but there’s more involved than you may realize. Followers, you can’t expect your partner to do all the work; you’ll have to help support yourself. That said, my leaders do need to provide a base your follower can trust. Let’s show them, Jamie.”

            Considering they had already practiced this move once, Pearl and Garnet had no problem repeating it to figure out exactly how to balance with each other. “Ahem,” Pearl began now that they could speak freely again. “I wanted to apologize for the other night. I mean, for staring at your bindi.” As she said the word, her eyes flickered back up to it, but only for a moment.

            Garnet smiled. “I told you, it’s nothing to worry about,” she said. “You looked it up, didn’t you?”

            Again Pearl was avoiding her eyes. “I felt silly last time for being ignorant. I was hoping to be—” she paused as Garnet led her smoothly into another dip and took the opportunity to slip off her sunglasses. So much for not meeting her gaze. “…more prepared this time.”

            “Oh, I don’t mean to tease,” Garnet said as they righted themselves again and she let her shades rest on top of her head. “It’s nice you were interested. What did you learn?”

            “There were several very mixed accounts, actually, so it was difficult to find many definitive facts. I understand it’s worn religiously in many cases. If you’re willing to share, I’d love to hear what it means to you.”

            For the first time, Garnet hesitated. “Ah. Maybe some other time. This probably isn’t the best place for all that.”

            “Oh. Right, of course. I’m sorry,” Pearl muttered. As quickly as she’d amended herself, she had managed to misstep again. How insensitive could she be?

            “Hey, it’s fine. I told you to ask what you want. There’s just a lot to say there.” She glanced toward the wall where Pearl’s bag rested and changed the subject: “Steven here tonight?”

            “No. I worried about keeping him out this late, so he’s with his father,” Pearl explained. She could see a question trapped behind her partner’s lips, and she laughed dryly. “I guess that’s a complicated subject, too.”

            “It looks like you all have the basic move down, so let’s practice it with a lead-in. How about a promenade for a six-count and into 1-2-3, then use 4-5-6 for your dip. Yes, you’ll have to do it in rhythm this time! Look, it isn’t that hard.” Sardonyx and Jamie demonstrated, though it was clear _she_ was the one leading. “Your turn~! Just let me know if you have questions.”

            “I think this would be easier with music,” Pearl said as she stepped back into Garnet’s arms and they moved into promenade position.

            “You’d rather do that than counts?”

            “I’ll be counting internally, regardless,” she admitted. “But with music, it would feel more natural.”

            “I dunno,” Garnet said with a shrug. “Seems like you’re doing fine to me.”

            “I am. But I prefer to be better than ‘fine.’”

            Garnet tilted her head, her striking eyes searching and thoughtful. “You take this pretty seriously, hmm?” For a moment, Jasper’s warning came to mind, but she did her best to dismiss it.

            “Should I not? It _is_ my career,” Pearl pointed out. As many times as she had been told that her dedication and discipline were exceptional, she had only ever thought it was a matter of course. And that maybe others should be working a bit harder.

            “But this is just for fun, isn’t it? Or was there another reason you wanted to get back into it?”

            “To tell the truth,” Pearl muttered after a moment. “I promised Steven that I would give it a try.” Garnet laughed but realized that, again, it was about Steven. But wasn’t it normal for a parent-figure to care about her child’s happiness?

            “I’ve been _assuming_ you two don’t need any help,” Sardonyx interjected, pausing beside them. “But just to be sure: are you have any trouble?” Pearl and Garnet exchanged a glance.

            “I think we’re good,” Garnet said.

            “Oh~, I’m sure you are,” Sardonyx laughed, and with a meaningful look at Pearl, she moved on to the next couple.

            “You two know each other well?” Garnet asked.

            “Yes. We met through a mutual friend—the studio’s owner—and we’ve been close for years. She’s sort of a busybody,” Pearl said, shooting another look at Sardonyx, who quickly pretended she wasn’t observing them from across the room. “But she’s always here for me when I need her.”

            “Have you ever tried dancing with her?”

            “Er, not really. Our styles are too different, and…” She paused as she realized what Garnet might actually be asking. “Well, that’s not the type of working relationship we have. We might dance on the same stage, but never…like this.” The briefest look at Garnet’s face showed she was pleased with the answer.

            “All right, everyone, as promised, let’s take a few minutes to catch our breath,” Sardonyx said from the front of the room. “Then we’ll start playing around with the combination we’ve learned so far.”

            Without Steven as a distraction this time, Pearl took the break to sit down and sanitize her hands again. Several of the other couples were still practicing, trying to improve anything they couldn’t get down, which she found encouraging. They did care, at least a little. She was grateful for the fact that Garnet gave her a moment alone; all that attention and interaction could get sort of overwhelming.

            “Excuse me?” Well. So much for that. Pearl opened her eyes to find another pair of students in front of her, a couple she didn’t recognize. The one who spoke was a young woman, and her smile shook as she went on. “Um. Hi. I’m Maria, and this is Dami. You’re…Pearl, right? I’m really sorry to bother you but…do you think you could help us out? We’re totally new at this, but you and your partner are so good, and…”

            “It’s fine if you’d rather not,” her partner added.

            “Oh right, yeah, of course,” Maria agreed hastily. “We were just hoping…if you don’t mind…?”

            Even in a class she wasn’t teaching, she was being asked to tutor. Maybe she should’ve expected that. Still, she wanted to see the others succeed. “Okay,” she said, getting to her feet. “I’ll do what I can. What do you need help with?”

            “Thank you, thank you so much! Okay, we’re really bad at the, uh…what’s it called?”

            “Whisk,” Dami supplied, and Maria nodded fervently.

            “Our feet keep getting tangled up.”

            “Okay. Go ahead and try it so I can see what’s wrong,” Pearl said, giving them room to move. As Garnet reentered the room, she saw their little session and came over to investigate.

            “Right. Uh, how is it supposed to…?”

            “Mm. Start out in promenade position,” Pearl supplied helpfully, but even this seemed to be a challenge. “No, that’s not…you’re too far separated. You should be almost touching he—here. Garnet. Would you help me demonstrate?”

            “Gladly.” She took Pearl’s right hand and let her step in close, resting against Garnet’s free arm. As much as she protested that she was “out of practice,” Garnet couldn’t help but notice that the elegant curve of her back as she leaned into the position said otherwise. Content to be a visual demonstration, she stood by and let Pearl instruct these two who were clearly younger than them. She did seem…expectant in her teaching, but not demanding or pushy. It might be interesting to sit in on one of her classes sometime.

            Within a few minutes, they were able to perform what passed as a whisk and, more importantly, understand what they’d been doing wrong before. “There you go,” Pearl said with a satisfied smile. “Just keep practicing, and it’ll get easier all the time.” As they went back to their work, she led Garnet some few feet away and told her sheepishly, “Thank you for your help. I hope you didn’t mind too much.”

            “Nah, it was fine. Glad I could help. Besides, you’re cute when you teach.”

            There was no point even trying to pretend that her flirting was subtle anymore. If not aggressive, she was at least being direct. Pearl was torn, equal parts embarrassed and flattered and excited and afraid. To her relief, Sardonyx’s voice saved her from being forced to respond.

            “All right, is this everyone? Let’s go through the combination once, then we’ll start working in our dips,” she said. “Ready? And 1-2-3, 4-5-6!” As she said, Garnet led them into the steps they had fully memorized by then, though with a bit more flourish than before. But she had already proven her improvisation trustworthy, so Pearl easily gave in to her direction. They moved step for step, hand-in-hand, up onto their toes then back down with a bend of their knees. Garnet’s right hand touched the small of her back, and she arched closer. She could get used to this after all, she felt. Surprising, considering how strongly she preferred to remain in control of her body at all times. Well, maybe not _all_ times. She could recall having given in to someone else’s lead _quite_ willingly in the past, and it had never led her astray.

            But no sooner did she think of it than her memory stalled on Rose, her coordination wavered, and she stumbled backward off her feet. Garnet reacted quickly enough to catch her around her waist, jarring her sunglasses to the floor with a loud clatter.

            “Ahem.” They looked up to find Sardonyx—and the rest of the class—observing the misleading position they were in. “On that note, shall we keep adding on?”

            Mortified, Pearl pulled away from Garnet and stood up straight. She lowered her head and forced her breathing into a slow, steady rhythm, blinking back tears of embarrassment. No, the tears were for something else. But the embarrassment didn’t help.

            “Sorry,” Garnet said quietly as she retrieved her shades. “I must’ve been going too fast; I didn’t mean to throw you off.”

            “It’s fine,” Pearl muttered, though her distant tone suggested otherwise. Of course, it wasn’t Garnet she was upset with. She had simply disturbed thoughts and feelings that had lain still and unchanging for twenty years; in a manner of speaking, she was waiting for the dust to re-settle.

            It didn’t. For the rest of the class, she was withdrawn, distraught. Her responses were quiet and terse as she was too lost in her head to be present in the room. Garnet couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong. She’d thought they were having fun, and the way Pearl kept smiling and blushing…weren’t things going well? She tried to stay confident, but when she was all but ignored, that was difficult to do. Even their dancing felt less spirited, almost mechanical. By the time the class was over, Pearl left her arms without a word, and she didn’t try to hold on. Was she being rejected before she’d gotten the chance to ask?

            “Pearl?” It was Sardonyx who spoke, catching her friend at the door. She hadn’t missed the drop in her mood. Garnet tried to inconspicuously observe their conversation. “What’s the matter? Did something happen?”

            “I’m just tired,” Pearl said flatly. “And…Steven is at home. With Greg. I need to get back to him.”

            “I’m sure he’s fine, darling. Do you really want to be running off so quickly?” She threw a glance at Garnet, who quickly turned away to grab her things.

            “Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Pearl easily deflected her concern and strode from the room with her head down. Clearly worried, Sardonyx cleared her throat for Garnet’s attention, then nodded heavily in Pearl’s direction. At least someone was giving her a vote of confidence. She hastily followed out the door, down the stairs, and met Pearl as she was leaving the building.

            “Wait,” she called as she caught up. Pearl waited. “Ahem. It’s pretty dark out. Do you mind if I walk you to your car?”

            Pearl considered. “No. I’d appreciate that.” She still wasn’t being as friendly as before, but she also wasn’t explicitly declining.

            “Don’t mention it. Are you, uh, feeling all right? It seemed like you weren’t really into our combination.” For a moment, there was no answer. They reached Pearl’s car, her “champagne”-colored sedan, and she stopped.

            “I’m sorry,” she said. “Please don’t think it was anything you did. Like I said, I’m still getting used to…all this.”

            “Do you think it would help to know your partner a little better?” Garnet asked, moving her hands down her hips to slip into her back pockets. “I just mean we’ll have a few days before our next class. I might fall out of practice again in that time. What do you think?” Pearl withdrew into herself a bit more, insofar as her impeccable posture would allow.

            “That’s hard to say.” It had been so long since she’d done anything like this. She wasn’t certain she still knew how—or if she should, when Rose’s memory was still affecting her this much. No, that was ridiculous, she knew. It wasn’t as though her feelings for Rose would go away with time, and it wouldn’t do to use them as an excuse to stay isolated. No matter how dangerous it might be to do otherwise. What was it Steven had said? _You could just give it a try._  “Did you have something in mind?”

            “Whatever you want,” Garnet said, willing to be flexible if it meant she was getting a chance. “Coffee. Shopping. I hear the beach is nice. I’m sure we could figure something out.” She leaned down a little, trying to catch Pearl’s eye and see if she was smiling.

            She was.

            “And…would you consider this a date?” she asked.

            Garnet balked, sensing that this might be sketchy territory. “If I say yes, will you say no?”

            Pearl folded her hands in front of her and answered, “I planned to say yes regardless. I just want to know what I should expect.” It took three full seconds too long for Garnet to realize she was grinning like an idiot from that answer.

            “Oh! Uh, great,” she said, embarrassed but trying to recover. That wasn’t the first time this girl had surprised her with an unexpectedly coy comment like that. “Then…yeah, I’d like that. Can I—here.” She reached into a pocket of her blazer and took out her phone to hand it to Pearl. “You can give me your number, and I’ll call you. How about this weekend?”

            It was too embarrassing to admit she wasn’t often occupied, so as she put her number into Garnet’s phone, she simply said, “That should work.”

            “Then I’ll think of something to do in the meantime.” The smile on her face wasn’t like the playful smirk Pearl had seen delivered with her flirty one-liners. She was really, genuinely excited, which may have been more attractive still. Trying not to come off as too eager, she took a step back and cleared her throat. “Well…tell Steven hi from me.”

            “I will. I’m sure he’ll be glad you thought of him.” She paused only briefly with her car door open before adding, “Good night.”

            As Garnet walked to her car, still smiling, Sardonyx was cheering and dancing with joy from her vantage in an upstairs window.


End file.
